Jacob Elordi has spoken candidly about the objectification he faces as a Hollywood star, with the actor explaining that it’s “definitely frustrating”.
The Euphoria star, 24, discussed his experience, especially during his role in The Kissing Booth, during an interview with Men’s Health, where he revealed that “you learn quickly that what people take away from those movies is your stature and your figure”.
“You have all sorts of aged people around the world only talking about what you look like,” he continued.
Elordi also acknowledged that men are often overlooked in conversations about objectification and unwanted attention, and that people may not realise their attitude is contributing to the problem because they are just following what they see on their screens.
“I don’t think it’s really a conversation that people have in regards to men,” he said. “It doesn’t keep me up at night, but it’s definitely frustrating.”
According to The Kissing Booth star, even on set he isn’t free from the attention on his appearance, as he noted that there have been times where he’s been objectified while he’s been getting changed.
“You’ll go to a shoot and you’ll be getting changed or something, and someone’s like: ‘Oooaaah, would you look?’ Can you imagine if I said to a woman: ‘Daaaaamn, look at your waist!’” the star said, adding that he would “never do that” but believes other people feel comfortable doing so because they see it “on their screens.”
While Elordi said that he isn’t seriously concerned by the global focus on his looks, he did note that the effect it may eventually have on his self-worth worries him, as he acknowledged that it’s a “slippery slope to put all your value into the vanity of what your body looks like” as “your body is going to deteriorate”.
This is not the first time Elordi has opened up about the issue he has with the focus being on his appearance, as he previously revealed that he was “bothered” by the attention on his body in the first of the three The Kissing Booth films.
Prior to filming, the Australian actor had implemented a rigorous fitness regime because “it said it in the script,” he told Men’s Health in July 2020, and because he wanted to live up to the expectations for his character.
However, the subsequent attention on his body, both on-screen during shirtless scenes, and from fans of the films, really “bothered” him, as “everyone wanted to talk about my body”.
“At the time, I was super young and got thrown into a world where everyone wanted to talk about my body…it really f***ing bothered me,” he revealed. “I don’t identify with that whatsoever. I was trying to prove myself and be known as an actor.”
While speaking with the outlet, Elordi noted that he had since found a “more functional” workout regime that prioritised his mental and physical health and better suited him, as it aligned with his goal “to walk and run with my grandkids when I’m eighty-something”.
